"It doesn’t matter who you are today. It only matters who you want to become and how hard you are willing to work to become that person"

Ironman distance race wasn’t created until 1977, when a debate began at a running club awards banquet in Hawaii over which athletes — swimmers, cyclists or runners — were toughest.The only logical way to solve the argument was to make everyone do all three sports back to back to back. An all-day race was planned around the island of Oahu, with a 2.4mile swim (the distance of the annual Waikiki Roughwater Swim, one of the hardest open-water swims in the world), a 112-mile bike ride (the circumference of the island) and a full marathon (26.2 miles). The Ironman triathlon was born.

​June 27, 2016: So I signed up for Eagleman!!! I was challenged by a triathlete patient of mine to do an Ironman in 2017, and I accepted the challenge. I decided to start with a half one first (swim 1.2miles, bike 56miles, run 13.1miles), because I don't even know how to swim in freestyle. The race will be on June 11, 2017. I picked this race because it is close to NYC, the course is flat, the swim is in a river and I have almost a year to train.

I am lucky because I live right next to a state park with an Olympic size swim pool, tracks, basketball & soccer field. So today after deciding on the race I went to the tracks, got no time to waste, I ran for 30min.

July 23, 2016: I like to skip the basics and hit the hard stuff (who doesn’t !?) I am doing too much too soon, and developed severe pain in my ankle because I been skipping the foundations. (The primary cause of running injuries is poor running form and poor biomechanics) Training for a race like this is incredibly challenging, and it takes time for the body to adapt to the new stresses of training.I have always been very active, so I thought I can get away with it, but no. There are no short cuts to long term Ironman fitness.I am currently taking time off of running and treating my ankle with San Huang San, an herbal poultice to help reduce swelling, inflammation and pain. In Chinese Medicine we don't use ice, because we believe ice delays healing. I am also seeing my physical therapist for strengthening exercises.

Aug 18, 2016: An other day an other injury. Right ankle pain for the change. Here I am needling the motor points of the peroneus longus and brevis’ muscles. Overuse of muscles cause contraction and shortening of the muscle which over time puts strain on tendons and joints causing pain and dysfunction. Needling motor points - the area where the motor nerve enters into muscles - helps “reset” dysfunctioning muscles, therefore allowing you to heal faster. Acupuncture, by the needle going through the skin, allows to get closer to the motor point and thus has a more profound effect than external stimulation (a regular TENS unit) would.

Aug 23, 2016: Pretty cool, just learnt from a seasoned runner today that way back marathoning looked much different than it does today. Obviously. Midrace hydration and fueling typically meant a shot of whiskey, or other alcohol. And his dad who run the Paris marathon back in the 1920’s was offered wine as a mid race hydration to runners. It wasn't until the late 60’s that gatorade came out and started changing the field of hydration and nutrition. Till then it was a sign of weakness to drink water when you were thirsty during exercise. wow.

Sept 11, 2016: We did a 40 mile bike ride up on the 9W today, the weather is amazing. The best part of this training is that I get to spend time outdoors. Also that I get to eat. A lot... The whole training is so fun so far, but the best part of it is that you can eat anything you want [well mostly anything], because you are going to burn it off. If you are hungry eat. Eat healthy and do not starve yourself. What important is that most of your calories (65-75% of your daily intake) should be coming from carbs. Mostly from complex carbs (oatmeal, sweet potatoes, potatoes, corn, pumpkin, squash, beets, whole grain bread, lentils, beans and peas) to help restore your glycogen stores and help keep you going. Simple carbs (sugar, sports drinks, gels etc.) have a place in your diet during your long training days and on race day.

Sept 27, 2016: ​I got my aerobars fixed up on the bike and of course I had to go for a test ride :-)​This week's training schedule: build. There's an official 24 week intermediate training schedule that I follow starting in Jan. For now I am just trying to build up to be able to follow that schedule. Monday morning: swim 1 hr, various drills Monday evening: strengthening 1hr Tuesday: run 45min Wednesday morning: swim 1 hr, various drills Thursday: bike 1hr Friday morning: swim 1 hr, various drills Friday night: strengthening 1hr Saturday off Sunday: bike 40miles. It's still nice out, we just leave a bit later, around 10am when the sun is already out.

October 7, 2016: Traver, my friend and colleague and I signed up for a half marathon, which is tomorrow. Tonight we are sleeping in this haunted Airbnb. The landlady greeted us with a wig and bottle of vodka in her hands. Hope to make it through the night :-)

October 8, 2016:​I finished my first half marathon. My goal was to run the whole race, do not stop and do not walk. My time was 2hrs 9min. Because of my aches and pains and weaknesses I was only able to run up to 8miles prior to the race. Since I started training I had left and then right ankle pain, right ankle pain twice actually. And now right hip pain. These I all contribute that my body is not strong enough yet. I am doing strength training but I also need to accept the fact that it takes months for correct posture and strength to come.

October 8, 2016: Post marathon soreness. We are incredibly sore and tired. Traver is treating herself with cupping and acupuncture. Cupping is an ancient technique that involves placing jars on the skin, suctioning out the air and creating a vacuum. The purpose of cupping is to improve circulation, loosen tissues and help relieve pain.

October 24, 2016: We came down to Miami to take a couple days off and practice open water swimming. So different from swimming in the pool, there's no blue line to guide you, a bottom you can see. The sea is quite choppy, and who knows what else is in the water besides swimmers and surfers? (Did you say shark?) :-) ​For me the hardest is practicing sighting (looking up to see where you are and where you going). So fun regardless.

Where I am in my training? I am able to swim the 1.2miles, bike the 56 and run the 13.1.​Now I have to focus on speed and combining them.

October 30, 2016: We swam 1500m and biked 40km this morning - the weather is still fantastic :-) ​As my body is getting stronger I am able to do more without being injured all the time. As I get fitter I notice it is much easier to cope with a larger increase in distance. I also noticed my weight started dropping. I don't count calories, I do not want to obsess about it, I just eat whenever I am hungry.

I have a sweet tooth and I also notice that I am getting bored with sport gels. I miss chewing when I am biking. So I make these cookies for my bike rides: mix 1 cup of peanut butter, 1 cup of sugar, and 1 egg. Bake on 350F for 10min.​Peanuts in Chinese Medicine used to increase milk supply of nursing mothers, to stop bleeding (including hemophilia and blood in the urine) and to lower blood pressure. For the endurance athlete it gives a slow, sustained release of energy, meaning you will feel fuller longer (high protein & fiber). Also a primary building block in muscle growth and helps speed muscle recovery (high protein).

Daily (sometimes 2x daily) training is stressful for the body. You need plenty of rest and high carb intake to maintain muscle glycogen levels and be able to keep going. It has been shown that daily trainings or competitions will lead to a progressive reduction in muscle glycogen storage, with a related reduction in endurance and performance.

November 6, 2016: The smile is fake, I was dying on that hill. This is just right off the GWB, Fort Lee Historic Park. The weather is getting colder, soon we need to transition to indoor and invest in a trainer.

Besides positive bodily changes I also notice better mood since I started training. No surprise, if you swim, bike, run, strength train, do yoga and make yourself a priority for 10-20 hours a week you are going to be happy and are always on exercise high. "Food is the most abused anxiety drug, Exercise is the most underutilized antidepressant" Off topic, but I tell my patients suffering from anxiety, depression or patients wanting to lose weight to commit to 20-30min exercise 3-4x a week for a month. Commit to it the way you commit taking your medications 2-3x a day. You have to take your medications in order for them to work. You have to exercise if you want to feel & look better. "Wow, I really regret that workout. Said no one ever. "

Jan 4, 2017: Bike stuff everywhere in the apartment - the best type of furniture. Since it's been cold we're biking inside. Honestly, if I think about it, it is really boring to log 3-4hrs on this thing every Sunday. So I just do it without thinking about it, and the time somehow just passes. I can't even read or watch a movie because if I do - I catch myself going much slower. "Commitment means doing what you said you would even when you don't want to"

Jan 5, 2017: I have a nagging deep ache in my low back when I’m biking. It comes on roughly after being on the bike for 20min and it just lingers. As soon as I’m off the bike the ache goes away. Annoying. I have had the bike properly set up then adjusted, so that’s not the issue. I had abdominal surgery 2 years ago and I still find myself compensating for weaker core by relying on my global muscles to provide support and motion. I am still unable to activate my deep core stabilizers and keep my spine supported and positioned correctly when I’m biking. This exercise helps strengthening and stabilizing the pelvis. I have other exercises for spinal stabilization. Six months in and I am still building the base strength for ironman.

A few words on diet/supplements: I believe that there are no "bad foods”. All real whole foods have a place in our lives if used appropriately or in moderation. When possible choose whole-food recovery over processed bars, drinks, or convenience foods. And when it comes to supplements: again, just eat real food when you can. Isolating a potential "active" ingredient and selling it as the latest magic supplement most of the time does nothing to your body or on the long run / in excessive amounts creates an imbalance. If you don't understand the complexity of your body's balance you can't really understand the risks involved with breaking this balance either. And if you do understand it, you can't possibly believe that these supplements are safe and/or needed. Also - the majority of supplements advertised as having ergogenic properties do not and those that do work would lose their ergogenic properties if you consumed a proper diet anyway.

February 17, 2017: For a change I developed left ITBand syndrome. I can barely walk down stairs. Here I am trying to activate my VMO via its motor point to relieve tension from the ITBand. Motor points are the entrance sites of the motor nerve into the muscles. They connect the brain, the nervous system and the muscles together so they function properly. They are also used for increasing range of motion, help regain muscle strength and get you back to your sports and/or daily activities more quickly.

February 19, 2017: Muscles need 2 things in order to properly work: activation and strength. Needling motor points of injured muscles will help activating the muscle and through the motor neuron it help reconnecting it with your brain. Needling around the injury site the needle breaks up accumulations and cause micro trauma. Blood then brings the healing cells of inflammation, nutrients and oxygen and carries away waste products. Other acupoints stimulate circulation and move energy. Cupping targets fascial tightness, it also greatly increases blood circulation therefore speeds healing.

Menstrual cycle: Endurance sports place a huge impact on the female reproductive system with no- or irregular periods a common outcome. A regular, pain-free period is the first indicator of good general health in women according to Chinese Medicine. Whether your symptoms are pain, irregular cycle, cramps, bloating, headaches, irritability or stress, acupuncture is very helpful. Women often are given the birth control pill to regulate their cycle and quality of their period. IMHO this method may help control your symptoms but does not treat the cause of the problem. Acupuncture looks at the reason your cycle is out of balance and treatments focus on the cause of irregularity to assist in regulating your cycle and symptoms. Through regulating your cycle and your body you will enjoy a sense of well being and health the whole month through.

Few words on diet: Sugar provides some key advantages for athletes involved in intense training on a daily basis: it re-stocks muscle-glycogen stores very quickly and effectively. As long as the rest of the diet is rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber and anti-oxidants, and as long as regular exercise is carried out and caloric intake doesn't exceed caloric expenditure sugar isn't a bad thing at all. In fact, it can be argued (from the quick-glycogen-replacement standpoint), that sugar is a rather-desirable nutrient.In fact, the best endurance athletes (the Kenyans ) and ultra runners (Tarahumara Indians of Mexico) of the world eat mostly carbs. Lots of carbs, consistently. - To fuel their high intensity training and avoid muscle fatigue. About 75% - 80% of their daily calories come from carbs: mostly vegetable sources: like corn, beans, and potatoes, but bread, rice, and plain sugar are eaten in large amounts as well. Their main protein source is also based on plant protein (lots of beans), and whole milk, while meats are eaten in fairly small amounts, only 3-4x a week. They take no supplements of any kind. (Source:@activedotcom)

April 27, 2017: An other half marathon. Major improvement in my pace and strength since October. I did it as part of my training, then went straight to work. Back in October I was extremely fatigued after running 13.1 miles. "Mastery is the intriguing process through which something that is initially difficult and frustrating becomes progressively easier and more pleasurable through practice" ​This week's training schedule is: buildMonday morning: swim 2500m Monday night: strength training 1hrTuesday: run 1hr 10min Wednesday: swim various strokes and drills 2650mThursday: Brick (The workout is named for the feeling you’ll have in your legs when you start running after cycling a long distance) bike 1hr, run 40min. Friday morning: swim 2500m various strokes and drillsFriday night: strength training 1hr Saturday: off Sunday: Longest bike ride of the plan: 4hr 30min - wohoooo

May 6, 2017:​I am eating ALL THE TIME yet my weight dropped from 140pounds to 123pounds since I started the 24 week intermediate Ironman plan. It's not intentional and I feel amazing. The best I ever felt in my life. Not only physically, but mentally too. ​Since I started training life is simple, not easy, just simple: I train, eat, work, and sleep. That's about it. My days are better organized since I have no time to sit around and waste it. I learnt to focus on my priorities, better manage my time and cut out the unnecessary bs.

May 28, 2017: "If u think u can't - you must. Not for what you will get, but for what you will become" I overslept the swim, but did the 56mile bike and 13mile run today. 2 weeks till the race. Super exciting :-) This week's schedule: Taper / peakMonday morning: swim 2500m Monday night: strength training 1hr Tuesday: track workout 1hr 5min Wednesday morning: swim 2400m Wednesday night: physical therapy 1hr Thursday: bike 1hr 40min Friday morning: swim (open water if you can) 2400m non stopFriday night: strength training 1hr Saturday offSunday: bike 56miles run 13.1 - this wasn't in the plan but I wanted to make sure I can cover the distance on race day.

Few words on running: If you are a heel striker you do not need to adjust your running stride. Nor do you need to stop being a heel striker. However, you need to ensure you are not over striding and your cadence is high (180 rpm) enough.In a study researchers observed runners at a marathon: 88.9% of the runners were heel strikers at the 10km mark, however by the 19-mile mark 96% of runners were heel striking. That is, some of those who had been midfoot or forefoot striking earlier in the race had switched to heel striking by 19 miles, presumably as they tired, and started to slow. Running efficiency is not a question of what part of the foot touches the ground first, but how close initial contact is to underneath the hips (your centre of mass). Heel strike itself is not the reason you have running injuries. Rather blame lack of strength and control at the hips / core / ankles and training errors (written with @sarahwalks88)

June 11, 2017: I can't believe but the day has come. I gotta say this was my best year ever :-)

June 11, 2017: ​My race day food was: peanut butter sandwich (slow, sustained release of energy) with a banana (potassium) and water at 4.30am. My swim wave started late, at 7.50am. On the bike I had a Gatorade (they only served the nasty orange flavor) and water with Ucan for electrolytes. The bike was head and cross wind all the way, no shade, just heat and burning sun. Midway bike I ate my peanut&sugar cookies and 30min prior to finish the bike I had a Gu.Flavor fatigue is a real issue for me, I need food, more than just gels and sports drink on longer training sessions. The run part I was just extremely tired so I had 2 cups of Pepsi at each aid station (caffeine & sugar: provides instant and sufficient energy) and I put ice in my hat, arm sleeves and trisuit because it was super hot (93F), with no shade. Ironic, because it has been rather cold up to this day this year.

June 11, 2017: I started running together with this girl at the mile 2 aid station and we finished together. No idea who she's, but we even took the same steps, its crazy.

Overall I enjoyed the training much more than the actual race. The day was way harder than what I ever thought it was gonna be. 93F, burning sun all day, no shade to hide from. Brutal. I finished in 05:57:42. Ill be happy to take a couple weeks off and then continue with training for the full Ironman. Hell yeah :-)

To sum up my experience:

it takes time (months / years depending where you start from) to develop an Ironman level fitness.

pay attention that you have a correct posture. if not go see a physical therapist / sports medicine acupuncturist / gyrotonics / pilates instructor / learn about correct posture yourself. You are more susceptible to injuries and pain if you train with compromised body mechanics and weak core.

when you get injured take time off of training, see a physical therapist and sports medicine acupuncturist for proper recovery. You are asking your body for a lot, you need to take proper care of it.

you will be hungry all the time. Lunch at 10.45am?

meal prep for the week to save time. I had my long bike sessions on Sundays and was always wiped after, mentally and physically. I used this time to precook for the week. I used my crock pot a lot for soups and stews. Just throw everything in there and let it sit. I also roasted lots of vegetables in the oven so had them ready for breakfast and dinner for the week.

your life will be simple. not easy, but simple. Training is a part time job. My days for the year looked like this: first breakfast, train in the morning, second breakfast, work, I took a nap at work whenever i didn’t have a patient scheduled, sometimes I had a second training session in the evening, i had dinner and then went to sleep. I always had Saturdays off to see my friends and catch up on rest & sleep. I mostly caught up on rest and sleep... "If your relationship is still working then you didn't train hard enough"

all you will talk about is training. Ironman is an obsessive sport.

Ironman is a selfish sport. In a good way. You will learn to focus on yourself, stick to the training and cut the unnecessary bs out of your life.

it is also an expensive sport. The bike, indoor trainer, wetsuit, watch, clothing, shoes all add up. So you better do more than just one ironman to get your money's worth :-)

have a training plan and stick to it. Most of the days you will feel like a super human, but there will be days when you hate everything and everyone. Accept that and rest. I enjoyed most of my training and how I felt. Amazing to be able to spend time outdoors and bike and run outside.

training for an ironman teaches you to unite your mind and body. You will learn to train without distraction and boredom, in patient, focused, almost loving way. You will notice that training of this sort can teach you how to perform well in many other areas in your life. Training for an ironman is a humbling experience it will also teach you what commitment and discipline means.

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